ZenRobotics Recycler is upgraded

Helsinki-based ZenRobotics has introduced the latest upgrades to its robotic waste sorting system, ZenRobotics Recycler (ZRR).

Earlier in 2016, ZenRobotics made the ZRR trainable. With this upgrade, the robotic recycling system has been trained to sort tens of new waste fractions at customers’ sites and ZenRobotics’ own laboratory, the company says. Now ZRR can sort plastics by polymer (polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride), C-wood (impregnated wood) and scrap metal by color or shape.

In 2017 ZRR will be available with a third arm, allowing the machine to sort more material, ZenRobotics says. The ZRR3 will be able to make up to 6,000 picks per hour, or 50 percent more picks than the current generation, the company says. The first three-armed robot system is set to go into operation in Australia in January 2017.

Additional upgrades to the ZRR improve the overall usability and flexibility of the system. A new gripper design allows the handling of heavier objects while making the gripper easier to maintain. The user interface also has been updated. Finally, the waste conveyor speed is no longer fixed but can be adjusted by up to 1 meter per second to meet customer requirements, ZenRobotics says.